I’m planning to help drive an old 7.5t Iveco Cargo Horsebox and trailer from Essex to ■■■■■■■ this summer. And hopefully back again.
My mate did the trip the other year, with me as a non-driving passenger. Just north of Preston, it became apparent that the engine temperature gauge was shifting upwards on the long hills.
Thankfully, she drove gently (i.e. slowly) enough to keep the temperature at a reasonable level - only a smidgen above the normal temp and away from the dodgy bit. Ideally, we’d just have a different lorry. Or even flush the rad before hand. But it isn’t my lorry and I don’t have such executive decision making powers.
Any tips on keeping said engine cool whilst driving this time?
A bus driver at a services suggested we coast downhill and take the revs up to blow air through. Is this really that wise? How much difference does having the cab heating/blowers on really make?
It needs to be looked at. Your asking for trouble if you know it has cooling issues especaly in this weather.
Rolling down hill in nuetral is just stupid
Yep needs looking at, but as you don’t have that executive decision**, my plan would be to allow longer for the journey and plan 2 or 3 stops en route. Course take a few gallon of water with you as well.
Putting the heater on full whack can make a difference but the uncomfort factor will reduce road safety too much in my opinion.
Coupled with having livestock on board you could end up in a load of trouble if things go pear shaped.
**Oh and as the captain of the ship you have the ultimate in executive decision’s, tell him to get it checked or forget it.
Coasting downhill with a trailer is insane, surprised no one suggested just removing the bonnet flap to help with cooling, or better still just tie the horses up behind and let them gallop after you for a bit…
Dipper_Dave:
Yep needs looking at, but as you don’t have that executive decision**, my plan would be to allow longer for the journey and plan 2 or 3 stops en route. Course take a few gallon of water with you as well.
Putting the heater on full whack can make a difference but the uncomfort factor will reduce road safety too much in my opinion.
Coupled with having livestock on board you could end up in a load of trouble if things go pear shaped.
Thanks - very helpful.
Dipper_Dave:
**Oh and as the captain of the ship you have the ultimate in executive decision’s, tell him to get it checked or forget it.
I might therefore do the driving as far as Knutsford!
Dipper_Dave:
Coasting downhill with a trailer is insane, surprised no one suggested just removing the bonnet flap to help with cooling, or better still just tie the horses up behind and let them gallop after you for a bit…
It will get hotter when it is working hard, like when pulling up a hill or in stop/start traffic, as long as it isn’t getting too hot it is perfectly normal behaviour for an engine temperature to increase in those circumstances
mucker85:
Get the horses to pull when going up hill. It will give them something to do so they don’t get bored and it will save the truck from overheating
It’s much easier keeping a horse cool - buckets of cold water and a rubber scraper.
Could also try running the engine hot and seeing if the cooling fan kicks in, perhaps check the thermostat as well.
If it only got to just a smidgen above normal this may not have been enough to trigger the fan.
Course as I only have a basic knowledge of the engine on an old Iveco I’m trusting that the engine doesn’t self destruct like the dashboard on my old unit.
These old Cargo’s suffer from blocked pipes, it will need flushing and the pipes removing and cleaning, but reading the op’s comments its unlikely to be done, maybe after being cooked and sat at Tebay it will get done, you gotta keep em cool.
Try getting a dust blower and proper compressor then blow through the radiator fins through you’ll be amazed at the dust that comes off it, it acts like a wooly jacket on your radiator
Deffo blow the rad with a jet wash, we do it all time on out plant in the summer otherwise they’ll boil up. Diggers on site are churning dust up and it doesn’t take long to clog up the fins. An old Cargo that has been sitting about not doing much is probably chocka with crap.
newmercman:
It will get hotter when it is working hard, like when pulling up a hill or in stop/start traffic, as long as it isn’t getting too hot it is perfectly normal behaviour for an engine temperature to increase in those circumstances
I agree and Ivecos particularly have quite a lot of temperature gauge movement on hills. It’s much more pronounced on trucks than say cars.
One tip is hang back from the slipstream of any vehicle in front as this will aid cooling.
If the gauge needle is vertical normally and it’s going as much as half as much again to the right as long as it’s not in the red I wouldn’t worry.
Juddian:
Have you shone a torch through the radiator and had a look see whats in the fins.
After so many years pottering round the fens its probably stuffed with dead insects straw and general clag from the fields.
Probably worth tilting the cab and giving the rad a blast through from the behind (carefully) with a jet wash.
That’s a good idea, I blow mine through every other week with an air line our yards so dusty it’s amazing the amount off ■■■■■ that comes out off it, it can’t be doing the rad any good clogged with crap. Take plenty off bottles off water but seriously suggest to the owner to have it looked at, horses don’t like being stationary in the back off them boxes and couple that with a boiling hot day he may wish he’d spent a bit off money having it checked over.
How much difference does having the cab heating/blowers on really make?
